Little Indi is just the type of shop we love to support at Babyccino. One that offers a collection of unique products, not only beautiful but functional too and each one created sustainably and fairly. Products you can feel really good about buying. All this – and – this collection of sweet, easy-wear clothing and pretty blankets is the creation of a young mama! We wanted to get to know Julia better and thought you might like to as well. Here are her answers to our five questions.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, where you live and about your family.

I’m 28 years old, a mum and a textile designer. I live in a small town near Lucerne in Switzerland with my husband Silvan, our daughter Vida Mathilda and our cat Uno. We totally lucked out with the house we live in. My husband grew up in it and it‘s just 250m away from a little lake in an area of beautiful nature. It is also close to the unique old town of our village where you can find an organic market and our favourite cafe. I work from home in my gorgeous studio with its view of the lake and the Alps. I really enjoy working there — the room generates a nice creative atmosphere.

2. Tell us about your brand and how you came to start your label.

I studied textile design in Basel and knew it would be hard to find a job here in Switzerland. I also knew I wanted to be a mum. In my family almost everybody is self-employed so it was very natural for me to start a business on my own. I also wanted to combine textile design with my desire to become a mum so it was kind of obvious to create something for kids! I also found it more interesting to design for kids than adults. In 2012, after my degree, I started designing leggings for kids and my mum taught me the skill of sewing.

I did everything by myself except for the printing of the fabric, but after I became a mum I realised I can‘t do it all alone. So I spent two years looking for a factory that would meet my high standards, and I’m so happy I found a place in India that does! They make sure that everyone, from the organic cotton farmer to the seamstress, are paid fair wages and are offered excellent working conditions. Each stage in the workflow is done within a radius of 40km reducing the emission of co2.

I only use organic cotton for my products. In the autumn of 2016 I released A Whale Tale, my first collection produced in India.

3. What is important to you when creating your products?

It‘s very important that everybody involved with little indi feels good about my clothes. I want children to be comfortable and to feel free to play in them. It’s also the reason I only use organic cotton – it’s free from pollutants and better for our environment. It‘s important to respect the people who produce our clothes and the materials we use. Everyone involved puts a lot of time and energy into a collection, our clothes have a value and it‘s important to be conscious about that. That‘s also the reason I chose to only do one collection per year. My clothes are long lasting products. For me it‘s not about high profit — it‘s about creating products that are high quality and are fairly made.

The aesthetic part is – of course — very important too and it has to fit my current mood. Sometimes I need chaos and sometimes I need more structure, clear lines in my clothes. I’m always asking myself ‘what would I love to see my daughter in?’. The best compliment I can get is feedback from my customers that their kids always choose my clothes in the morning and that they love wearing them.

4. What is your current favourite product in your collection?

That’s hard to say! It changes all the time! At the moment I have two, the first being the Olga dress. I love to see my daughter in it and it just fits her so well! The second is the Mathilda blanket. It‘s really practical; it has wadding meaning you can use it in many different ways. The pattern is still one of my favourites — even though it‘s been four years since I designed it! At that time I wasn‘t too sure about it, so it stayed in my collection of unused patterns for quite some time!

5. Can you tell us something exciting that you have planned for this year?

I will release a new collection! At the moment I have so many different ideas in my mind, but nothing is fixed yet. I like this phase a lot — everything is still possible — though I’m so curious myself to know how the collection will be in the end!

Creating and producing clothes made fairly from organic cotton is very important to me. I believe it should be possible for everyone to afford clothes like that, in fact, I think all clothes should be organic and fairly made. I intend to include some basic pieces in the new collection that are affordable. Unfortunately, clothes of this standard are likely to cost that bit more. It‘s really difficult to keep the balance between paying fair wages and being able to sell items at an affordable price. This is a goal I would like to achieve. For me it‘s not just about profit, it‘s about people feeling good.

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